EXPERIMENT STATION REPORTS. 119 



FERTILIZER CONTROL. 



Tlu' woi'k eouiKH-ted with the enforcement of the fertilizer hnv has 

 been steadily ineieasin<>' and it has now become necessary to employ an- 

 other assistant while this work is in progress, and it also means that 

 all other work must be dropped, investigational work must be abandoned 

 from the first of April until the middle of August. 



During- the past season live new fertilizer companies have entered 

 the field, selling from one to five different brands each, and many of 

 the old companies doing business in the state have put new brands upon 

 the mark<'t. 



The fall shipment of fertilizers iulo Ihe state is iK^ginning to assniiu' 

 c«msi(lerable ])ro{)ortions and, as many brands are not i)ut on the mar- 

 ket in the spring it seems desirable that, in the future, a fall collection 

 l»e made. 



It is very gratifying to note the increasing' use, by the farmers, of the 

 fertilizer bulletin as a guide in nmking their purchases. 



])uring the past year, an investigation was undertaken with legumi- 

 nous crops to determine the relative amounts of nitrogen taken from the 

 air and soil during their growth. The results obtained, however, did 

 not warrant publication ami this investigation Avill be re])eated. 



The investigation undertaken two years ago in conjunction with the 

 bacteriological dej)artment on the solvent action of bacteria upon cer- 

 tain insoluble phosphates has been continued and a preliminary report 

 is now ready for publication. In connection with this investigation an 

 experiment was initiated this spring upon the Howard Farm at Edwards- 

 burg, Mich., where the soil conditions are especially favorable for a 

 practical application of the results of our laboratory investigations. 



The field experiment will be carried on for at least five years. 



Miss Dorothea Moxness has continued the efficient assistant in this 

 department and in closing- this report I wish to acknowledge my per- 

 sonal indebtedness to her. 



Respectfully submitted, 



ANDREW J. PATTEN, 



Chemist. 

 Agrirultural roljege, .Mich., .jun;' :M», 1!)()7. 



